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The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window

Credits

Cast

Network

Reviewer

Kennedy Unthank

TV Series Review

Anna spends her days downing entire bottles of wine and reading psychological thrillers as she stares thoughtfully out her living room window. She wistfully stalks her ex-husband on his Instagram account, always looking for any sign that he’s moved on any quicker than she has—which is to say, not at all.

That is, until she sees a new neighbor, Neil, move into the house across the street from her. He’s British, handsome and a good single father to his daughter. He seems like the perfect guy.

Except he has a girlfriend. And when she—Lisa—shows up at Neil’s house out of nowhere, Anna’s jealousy sends her on an investigation into Lisa’s life. But it isn’t long until that inspection is halted, because there’s Lisa in the window of Neil’s house … holding her bloody neck as she collapses to the ground.

Busy Prepositions Always on the March

If you couldn’t tell from the title, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is a satirical comedy poking fun at “all of these psychological novels that were written for women, by women,” said star Kristen Bell in an interview with the Today show.

It stars Anna, a woman who loves nothing better than to sit in her chair and drink a measly 10 bottles of wine a day while she spies on her neighbors through her living room window. And it’s quite convenient for her, as her vantage point gives her a perfect line of sight into the house of Neil as his girlfriend Lisa is seemingly murdered.

Well, sounds like it should be a pretty easy case for the detectives, right? Well…not exactly.

Not only are there many suspicious individuals living in the area, but Anna’s also not exactly the most credible source of information. She struggles with depression due to the untimely murder of her nine-year-old daughter at the hands of “Massacre Mike.” Because of this, she often has hallucinations of her daughter as she plays or runs around the house. Anna even still drives to school, pretending that she’s dropping her off.

It doesn’t help her case that she meets with a therapist regarding these hallucinations, or that she often combines her prescription medication with her wine—something that’s known to contribute to hallucinations … such as the one where she ran Lisa over with her car … oh. Oops.

But regardless of how it sounds, Anna knows what she saw … there’s no way she could have imagined that! Or, at least … it seemed so real … But if no one’s going to believe her, then it looks like she’ll have to take a risk and investigate it herself.

As Anna says, “To get to the bottom of something, you have to remind yourself that if you don’t risk anything, you risk everything. And the biggest risk you can take is to risk nothing. And if you risk nothing, what you’re really doing is risking not getting to the bottom of something. And if you don’t get to the bottom of something, you risk everything.”

Episode Reviews

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode One”

Anna’s life is a monotonous cycle of wine drinking, book reading and Instagram stalking. But when a friendly father moves into the house next door, Anna’s life gets a whole lot more interesting.

The episode opens with an ominous rendition of “Rain Rain Go Away” playing in the background. As Anna pulls a casserole out of the oven, many split-second scenes jump-scare the audience. These include scenes of violence, blood and sex. She drops the dish directly after these scenes, and it shatters, but it is actually because the dish is still hot from the oven, and she burns her hands.

Anna frequently has visions, fantasies and hallucinations. In one, she speaks with her deceased 9-year-old daughter. In another, she is seen in her underwear with a shirtless Neil, and they passionately kiss and have sex. Though no inappropriate body parts are seen, moaning is heard.

A large bowl overflows with wine corks. Anna drinks a lot of wine, and this is used as a gag often. For instance, she empties the entirety of a wine bottle into her glass so that she has to slurp at the top of the glass in order to pick it up without spilling it. Anna will also take prescription pills with the wine.

Anna dances with her ex-husband in a flashback, and he pretends to spank her. She takes a bubble bath, and she watches Neil take off his shirt through the window. A couple of characters are referenced to have died in the past. Anna faints in the middle of the road due to her ombrophobia (fear of the rain). Anna drops her hallucinated daughter off at school in a bathrobe.

One instance of the f-word is used. Two uses of the s-word are used. God’s name is misused six times. Jesus’ name is inappropriately used once.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Two”

When Neil’s girlfriend Lisa comes to town, Anna seeks to find any dirt she can on her. But a sudden twist of events turns Anna’s entire life upside down.

While purchasing wine, Anna overhears her neighbor Carol gossiping about Anna having a drinking problem and how she harasses Neil even though he has a girlfriend named Lisa. When Anna confronts Carol, Carol states that Anna will no longer be in her prayers. At various points throughout the episode, Anna drinks comically large glasses of wine.

Anna imagines running Lisa over with her car. Anna and her therapist talk about her wine consumption and her prescription medication. A flashback reveals that a criminal nicknamed “Massacre Mike,” a man who had “killed and eaten at least 30 people,” also killed and ate Anna’s daughter (though this death happens offscreen).

Lisa is seen in the window of Neil’s house in a bra, and she is later seen again exercising in a sports bra. Anna compares Lisa to a drug dealer after she sees that Lisa has two phones. Anna stabs a painting canvas. Lisa is seen in the window of Neil’s house holding her throat as blood drips down her hand before she collapses to the floor.

In a flashback, Anna is seen wearing lingerie before sleeping with her ex-husband. She also poses in lingerie in order to take provocative photos for an Instagram account titled “verysexyanna”. She follows an account called “sexxxy_rexxxy”, and we see a man in his underwear in one of the posts and the same man kissing a woman’s neck as she sits in his lap in another. A social media account features an emoji stand-in for a man’s private parts.

Seven uses of the f-word are heard as well as six uses of the s-word, three of which are preceded by “bat.” “B–ch” is used once, as is “d—n, “ “–k” and “h—.” God’s name is misused 10 times, and Jesus’ name is inappropriately used three times.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Three”

When Detective Lane informs Anna that Lisa never died, Anna begins seeking clinical help. However, a subtle clue leads her to start investigating the scene of the crime herself.

We watch a flashback from the previous episode of Lisa’s apparent death. Detective Lane arrives at Anna’s house and spots Anna’s prescription pills and glass of wine. She insinuates that Anna’s intoxication means that she saw things that didn’t actually happen. Anna attends a support group as a result. While at the support group, one attendee references something involving her brother engaging in “autoerotic asphyxiation.”

Anna breaks an outdoor house light, and she also breaks into Neil’s home. Anna lies to the FBI in order to run a background check, and she drinks wine as she searches records online. Anna discovers that Neil was a suspect in his wife’s death.

A man fails a polygraph test when he says he hasn’t killed or eaten anyone.

The f-word and s-word are both used once, and “h—” is used six times. In addition, God’s name is misused six times, and Jesus’ name is misused once.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Four”

Suspecting Neil in the murder of his wife Meredith, Anna follows a trail of suspicious evidence.

Neil makes his 9-year-old daughter Emma get him a beer so he can fight with Meredith while on a dock. When he shoves Meredith, she accidentally sticks a fishing hook in his side while trying to keep her balance. In response, Neil, knowing she cannot swim, pushes her into the pond, and he watches as she drowns.

Later, Neil and a teacher kiss on a lighthouse, and Neil throws her off the lighthouse. We see her fall to her death in the background, and her body is seen broken on the rocky shore. Neil mentions to Anna that he wanted to commit suicide following Meredith’s death, and he insults her by saying he could’ve tried becoming a drunk like her instead.

Anna drinks wine while browsing the Internet. Meredith’s sister tells Anna she believes Neil was cheating on Meredith. A man sneaks up on and grabs Anna.

Buell, Anna’s handyman, shows Anna a dead raccoon.

There are 13 instances of the f-word, and there is one instance of “h—.” “D–n” is also used, and God’s name is misused five times. Jesus’ name is misused once.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Five”

When a man named Rex bursts into Anna’s house claiming to know Lisa by another name, the two work together to make sense of their differing stories.

Rex forcefully restrains Anna and threatens to kill her daughter with a knife. Rex works as a male stripper, and we see his dance routine on stage. His underwear is shown during the dance, and he gives a woman a lap dance. Paintings in the back of the club show naked men covered only by strategically held hats. In another scene, Rex wears an outfit that shows a bulge.

Rex explains that he and Lisa—who he knows as the bartender Chastity from the strip club—worked together to con old men out of their money by pretending Rex had a rare blood cancer to garner sympathy. Rex and Chastity start their con on Neil, but Rex is hesitant about it because he doesn’t want to hurt Emma. Rex texts Chastity asking to “hook up” and to send naked photos.

Anna pours two large glasses of wine, and she lies to police officers. Anna references seeing Lisa/Chastity being murdered. Anna kisses Rex, and they sleep together. In a minute-long montage, we see them have sex in various locations around the house. They are fully naked, and we see very sensual movements and facial expressions, but their private parts are not shown.

A dog digs up a dismembered body.

The f-word is used 14 times, and the s-word is used twice and is once preceded by “bull.” “H—” is used twice. God’s name is misused eight times, and Jesus’ name is used inappropriately once.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Six”

When detectives arrest someone for the murder of Chastity, Anna seeks to better her life. However, things take a twist when detectives find a new lead.

Anna wakes up naked, but she is covered by bedsheets. There’s a glass of wine and pills by her bed, and she thinks she has hallucinated having sex with Rex.

Rex prepares breakfast in the kitchen wearing nothing except an apron. He and Anna sensually flirt. At one point, a brief view of his rear is fully visible.

Anna pours her large wine collection down the drain. She also dumps her pills down the toilet. She visits her daughter’s grave, and the tombstone reads, “There’s no ‘I’ in Heaven.”

We hear references to Rex’s strip dance routine. Flashing scenes show Anna stabbing at the camera with a palette knife.

Buell (Anna’s handyman) accidentally shoots a nail through his hand, and he pulls it out with little pain. Anna disinfects his wound.

The f-word is used five times, the s-word is used once and “h—” is used twice. “B–ch” is also used. God’s name is used incorrectly six times, and Jesus’ name is misused twice.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Seven”

When Detective Lane discovers a palette knife with Anna’s DNA at the crime scene, Anna is arrested for murder.

In a flashback, Anna recreates famous paintings but paints the faces of dogs on them. In a couple of these artworks, painted breasts are fully visible.

Detective Lane references a case where a man—impaired by alcohol and sleeping pills—killed his wife in her sleep with a lamp without knowing it.

A jump-scare shows Anna stabbing with a palette knife, and a bloody Lisa/Chastity is seen in a sports bra. In a graphic dream, Anna slices her ex-husband Douglass’ girlfriend’s throat with a knife. Anna opens her attic and finds blood dripping down. While intoxicated, Anna paints a picture of Lisa and stabs it.

Neil threatens Anna with a revolver.

Four uses of the f-word are heard as well as two instances of “h—.” God’s name is improperly used seven times, and Jesus’ name is misused three times.

[Spoiler Warning] Douglass reveals that Buell had murdered his family with a claw hammer before he became their handyman.

Jan. 28, 2022: “Episode Eight”

When Anna sees Buell walking over to Neil’s home, she rushes after him.

Two people are found with their throats slit, with the apparent blood-stained killer standing in the same room. A flashback takes viewers back to Lisa/Chastity’s murderer, too, where we see the killer in action. (The murderer also kills Lisa/Chastity’s unborn baby.) We hear about another murder (and see one of the victim’s body parts fall from a wagon). The murderer engages in a very violent battle with Anna, where participants are punched, kicked, choked, stabbed, shot and thrown against walls. (One fighter spits teeth at the other.) Crockery is smashed.

Anna and Douglass kiss. On a flight, Anna says she doesn’t drink wine anymore, and she orders a vodka instead. She pours the entire bottle into her glass and uses it to take a Xanax. Anna wakes up drunk on the plane, and multiple bottles of vodka are seen strewn about. Anna discovers a woman’s dead body in the lavatory.

A character is seen practicing taxidermy on a dead raccoon in order to turn it into a lamp.

The f-word is used twice, and the s-word is also used twice. “B–ch” and “A–hole” are heard. God’s name is misused four times.

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kennedy-unthank
Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He doesn’t think the ending of Lost was “that bad.”

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